Inside the Kitchen
My kids come home from school completely ravenous. No matter how full the lunchbox is packed, it never seems to be enough. When the 3 p.m. bell rings and they fly out the door to me, the first words out of their mouth are always, "Did you bring anything to eat?" Never, "Hi, Mom, I missed you!" - just a request for sustenance.
I can appreciate that. I can remember many a long bus ride home, hoping that there'd be something amazing to eat when I got home. I remember being super envious of a friend who was a foreign exchange student from Germany - when he got home, his mother met him - every day! - with a fully set table of hot dishes. It was absolutely stunning.
I didn't know anyone whose mom made them a hot snack.
I try, as often as I can, to make sure that my own children have a snack that is high in protein when they stumble out of the school building. One of their favorites is commonly called "Pigs in a Blanket" - mini hotdogs wrapped in dough and baked. I recently decided to mix things up a little, and took ful size hot dogs and cut them into three equal pieces. I paired each section with a small piece of American cheese - I cut a square into thirds - and then wrapped the entire thing inside a flattened section of crescent roll dough.
The first pan I baked was a disaster. As the cheese melted, it leaked out of the roll and stuck to the pan, which meant that the crescent rolls were difficult to get off the pan. With the second batch, I wised up and lined the pan with parchment paper. Result? The rolls browned evenly and lifted off with no sticking issues whatsoever.
And my children were ecstatic when I met them at school with a hot, fresh snack.
What was your favorite after school snack as a kid? What do you like to serve your own children?
©iStockphoto.com/StephanieFrey
Replies
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My son isn't in school yet, and he'll probably be homeschooled. I don't buy processed foods.
Growing up my snack was a handful of cheez-its and a cup of water. That's all I really remember. I ate an apple or an orange for breakfast along with cream of wheat, the school lunch after I was in 2nd grade (before then it was a home-made lunch) and usually I had a big bowl of veggies for dinner along with whatever my mom made (lasagne, meat and potatoes, etc.)
I don't remember what else I ate, but I know that I ate whatever my mom offered and I didn't realize until I was older that I didn't actually like cheez-its lol.
I hate cheese and I have a much more exotic palate, even before I had tasted anything "exotic," it's just what my tongue prefers lol
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I'm thinking of making mini pizza's for my DD. -
don't remember what i snacked on after school as a kid. my kids have fresh fruit, snack mix (popcorn, yogurt raisins & nuts), granola or oatmeal bars, 1/2 pbj sandwich, small bowl of cereal. it just depends on when we get home, if we get home. there are many days we run around after school so snacking is done, unfortunately, in the car.
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My favorite snack was cookies. Those mini hot dogs sound really good My Mother makes them, but she has a hard time finding the mini hot dogs. She wraps hers in bacon they are good too. I will have to suggest she cut the hot dogs in thirds. My kids like any leftovers and/or frozen dinners.
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I give protein snacks also, I will fix a small plate of ham, cheese..crackers and grapes, she is in a lot of after school activities so I pack extra good snacks on those days, she loves beef jerky... ..flour tortillas with cream cheese and ham or turkey rolled up. -
I always fended for myself. My mom worked alot of my growing up years. My kindergarten gets out of school pretty late considering how early we eat dinner. She's home about 3:45 and we eat usually no later than 5:30 so to avoid being full at dinner I actually try to make sure snack is pretty light; maybe some fruit and drink or crackers. I'd rather spend my cooking time on dinner and after dinner treat. The hot afterschool snacks actually sound like great quick and light dinner options. Add a salad or other veggie and some fruit and we are good to go : )
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ooh yum! i used to eat toast or cereal lol. idk what i will make my own kids yet
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I take variety of snacks for my DD4. Like your kid, her first question is always, 'did u get something for me to eat':).
She usually gets smoothies, banana, granola bars, cucumber, cheese string, and very rarely cookies. -
mine was chocolate milk,my kids love pepperoni,chees and crackers or microwave popcorn
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I'd eat a bowl of cereal or sandwich usually. DD's obvious favorite would be cookies, but normally she gets some fruit, crackers or a string cheese